1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packages with handles, and more particularly, to such packages for storing granular products.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many products are provided to consumers in granular form which includes any form which has physical characteristics similar to granular materials, such as powders. Among the list of granular consumer products are many laundry detergents and dish washing detergents. Granular detergents are generally used in relatively large volumes. Consequently, large volumes of these products are consumed each year. Due to the vast quantity of consumer products sold in granular form, there is a great demand for packages to house these products.
Packages for granular consumer products should have several key characteristics. The package must be able to withstand the rigors of transportation from the manufacturer to the retailer and to the ultimate place of use by the consumer. It is also desirable that the package enable the consumer to remove product therefrom as simply as possible. Furthermore, the package should be easy to handle, thereby making it desirable in many instances for the package to include a handle.
Perhaps most importantly, it is desirable, particularly in today's competitive marketplace, to reduce the costs associated with packaging. These costs, of course, include the costs of the materials required to make the package. Also included in these packaging costs are the costs of making the package, shipping the empty package to the granular product manufacturer, forming and filling the package at the product manufacturer, shipping the filled package to the retailer, and all handling costs along the way.
Combining all of these features into one package for housing granular materials is not an easy task. Particularly troubling is the inclusion of a handle on a package while maintaining costs at a minimum. Handles often increase costs significantly. Sometimes the handles themselves or their attaching elements are expensive and sometimes the method of attachment is costly. Handles also, often create irregularly shaped blanks and containers which occupy excessive space increasing shipping and handling costs.
Attachment of handles to various types of containers is not new. U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,423 issued to Wigemark on Dec. 4, 1979 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,052 issued to Bringer on Sept. 14, 1971 are exemplary of handles attached to containers by inserting their ends into openings in the container. There is, however, nothing to prevent granular material from flowing out through the openings with this type of arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,534 issued to Sutton on Aug. 17, 1982 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,687 issued to Taguchi, et. al. on May 14, 1985 are exemplary of typical package handles attached externally to containers. These handles are attached to the container by the use of an externally mounted fitment. The fitment is generally a "U" shaped attachment and the handle fits through the space in the "U". Although this arrangement effectively prevents the escape of granular materials since there is no opening in the container, this arrangement results in increased packaging costs due to the irregularly shaped container caused by the external fitments.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a package with a handle which is suitable for housing granular materials.
It is, more particularly, an object of the invention to provide such a package:
which is able to withstand the rigors of transportation from the manufacturer to the ultimate place of use; and
which enables the consumer to remove product therefrom as simply as possible;
It is, furthermore, an object of the invention to accomplish the aforementioned objectives while maintaining all packaging associated costs to a minimum.